Texas Bluegrass - Central Texas Bluegrass Association

Transcription

1 COPYRIGHT © CENTRAL TEXAS BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATION
Central
Texas Bluegrass
IBMA Member
Vol. 34 No. 10
October 1, 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Central Texas Bluegrass Association
Air
Cargo
The Listening Post
The Listening Post is a forum established to monitor bluegrass musical recordings, live
performances, or events in Texas. Our mailbox sometimes contains CDs for us to review.
Here is where you will find reviews of the CD’s Central Texas Bluegrass Association
receives as well as reviews of live performances or workshops.
Grapeland Bluegrass Festival - was this the last year?
O’Brien & Scott - Live
Anytime Tim O’Brien and
Darrell Scott get together
for a live performance even
Sheldon Cooper from the
Big Bang Theory will sit up
and take notes. There is
a definite chemistry (and
physics) between Tim & Darrell that was picked up during these live performances
at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC in 2005 & 2006. The
performances were actually
benefits for the Arthur Morgan School where both of
them had children attending as students. This wasn’t
their first rodeo. Their first
duo album “Real Time” was
nominated for a Grammy in
2000.
There are several of their
“live standards” on this CD,
such Scott’s “Long Time
Gone” and O’Brien’s “Early
Morning Rain” which he
performed at RiceFest. And
speaking of RiceFest Darrell
Scott will perform this year.
Tickets are sold out (again).
People know a good thing.
Pick up this CD. This is the
real thing. Take notes.
Was this the last performances on
the Salmon Lake RV Park stages?
Rumor has it that after thirty something years the festival will be no
more...unless someone steps in to
take it over. That view to the right
is of the beautiful little lake that
runs through the property. During the hot weather you’ll see kids
and adults cooling off or enjoying
the sounds of the waterfall. There
have been some tremendous performances on their stage.. Below,
the band Nu-Blu performing this
year and belting out some strong
bluegrass.
Louisa Branscomb Brought to Austin by ASG
Rob Lifford
This past September 8th,the Austin Songwriter’s Group (ASG) hosted
noted bluegrass/Americana songwriter Louisa Branscomb. Louisa has
had nearly 100 of her songs recorded by various artists that have appeared
on the bluegrass charts. Perhaps her most well known tune is “Steel Rails,”
which was recorded by John Denver and
was a huge hit for Alison Krauss.
Branscomb has developed a songwriter’s workshop unlike those given by
other songsmiths. A licensed pshycologist, she helps attendees become more
aware of feelings within themselves and
has them try to state them in a unique
musical way. During the evening, Louisa gave a concert presenting her original tunes. She was accompanied by
Jeanette Williams, a superb singer and
bassist and local talent, yours truly Eddie
Collins (banjo, mandolin and guitar). The liner notes to Louisa’s latest CD
thanks bassist Missy Raines for taking a year of her time to learn these
musically tricky progressions. I had two days to learn them. There were a
few rough edges, but the audience enjoyed the stories behind the tunes
and hearing them showcased by this talented writer. CTBA member Ken
Brown also joined us on Dobro during the second set. For more about the
Austin Songwriter’s Group, go to www.austinsongwritersgroup.com
-Eddie Collins
Photos by Ken Brown
Even though I know for
a fact that Rob Lifford has
a great voice and plays a
mean mandolin you won’t
hear his vocals or his mandolin on his new CD release Helium Taxi. For this
Rob picks up the six string
and surrounds himself
with outstanding musicians such as MilkDrive’s
Noah Jeffries, Dennis
Ludiker, and Matt Mefford. He adds in some
very tasteful banjo playing from Trevor Smith
(from Green Mountain
Grass) and you can sit
back and enjoy some
fanciful jazzgrass played
inside out and outside
in. All of these musicians
have no fear taking each
melodic development to
new heights. My personal favorite arrangement
is “Gray Matters”. I love
how it twists between a
mournful memory and
a happier notion like a
private conversation at a
funeral. There are several
excellent arrangements
on this CD, all written and
arranged by Rob. Available for download. roblifford.bandcamp.com/album/helium-taxi
Picks, Happenings, and Releases
SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, December 9th, Annual Membership meeting with
concert, jamming and prizes. Yes, Fall is a great time for bluegrass here in
Texas, but what about Winter? Well, there will definitely be bluegrass happening in Austin on Sunday, December 9 starting around 3:00 p.m at Scholz’s Bier
Garten. The Central Texas Bluegrass Association is pleased to announce that,
for the first time, this year’s Annual Meeting will come to life with featured
performances of LIVE bluegrass music. Plans are for this year’s line-up to include, among others, a special performance by some of CTBA’s past scholarship recipients! For those of you who might think there isn’t much young
talent in the pipeline to carry on the bluegrass tradition, plan to come and
be amazed! In addition to their talent, they bring energy and enthusiasm to
this music that we all love so much. We’re also proud to have one of them
currently serving on the CTBA board—Josh Upham. The winner(s) of an instrument drawing selected from the names of renewing and new members
will also be announced during the concert. So please plan to join us on December 9th for a brief meeting (2:00 PM), followed by some awesome picking
and grinning. Stay tuned. More details will be forthcoming.
Just want to make you aware of a book written by Fred Bartenstein. Fred has
written a biography of “Uncle Josh” Graves the man credited with adapting
the Earl Scruggs style to the Dobro resonator slide guitar. It was the dobro
that really enhanced the Foggy Mountain Boys sound and set them apart
from all others. Fred is a graduate of IBMA’s Leadership Bluegrass program
and has several writing, MC, DJ, and other bluegrass credits under his belt.
www.fredbartenstein.com/book.html
The Fall Paluxy Valley Bluegrass Festival in Glen Rose is October 4-6 in
Oakdale Park. The lineup includes The Roys (with the recent addition of Matt
Downing on the banjo), Larry Stephenson, Randy Waller & the Country
Gentlemen, Little Roy & Lizzy, SaltGrass, Springstreet, West Bound Bluegrass, Shady Grove Ramblers and others. Three day passes are only $30.
Oakdale Park is also the location of the Glen Rose Gospel Grass festival
October 12-14. This year’s event will have The Herrins, Grandpa’s Neighbors, Full Quiver, The Lackey Family, and others. For more information see
www.gospelgrass.com
Austin String Band Festival
The Little Festival That Can (Deliver Great Music)
The Austin music festival scene is crowded but here’s one you ought to consider – the Austin String
Band Festival (ASBF) October 19 - 21 at Camp Ben McCulloch, right across the road from the Salt
Lick. Although this is its seventh year this festival is still small enough that everyone can get right
up close to the musicians. And the musicians are worth a close listen. The lineup features Bluegrass,
Cajun, old-time Appalachian and Americana delivered by the best local string bands and out of
state headliners. This year the festival features:
Friday Dance ‘Til You Drop Night
•
7:00 square dance w/ East Mt Serenaders
•
8:00 Lone Star Swing with Cindy Cashdollar
•
9:00 GumboJet
•
10:00 square dance w/Canotes
Saturday Stage Lineup
•
2:00 Sawmill Vagrants
•
3:00 Fundamentalist Reunion
•
4:00 Manuel “Cowboy” Donley
•
5:00 sq dance w/East Mt Serenaders
•
545-630 supper break (there will be a 5:45 miniset)
•
6:30 Rafe and Clelia Stefanini
•
7:30 Anna & Elizabeth (The Crankies)
•
8:30 Hem & Haw
•
9:30 The Canotes
•
Around 10 bands for mini-sets.
Festival booking agent Jeanne DeFriese, who booked the music for Old Settlers when it was a
small bluegrass festival, makes this comparison: “I have a freer hand booking for ASBF. Our audience is very open-minded and eclectic in their tastes; they seem quite delighted with our diverse
selections on stage and in the mini-sets. We book old time and bluegrass acts but you might also
hear Gospel, traditional Mexican, Cajun, or retro jazz - anything that hews to regional string band
Proud to Support CTBA!
Instruction for Banjo,
Guitar and Mandolin
Online and Private Lessons
Eddie Collins
Megan Pumphrey,
PO Box 319
Leander, TX 78646
www.eddiecollins.biz
512-873-7803
music. There are more spur of the moment jam
sessions at ASBF - everywhere!” Huntsville fiddle
maven Marynell Young says ASBF has the “most
eclectic stage show East of Los Angeles and the
best jam sessions West of North Carolina – finger
pickin’ good!”
Some of the featured bands are: the fantastic,
funny, Canote Brothers. Be ready to double up
with laughter when these identical twin musicians take the stage. With fiddle, banjo, ukuleles
and genetically matched voices, Greg and Jere
Canote bring back fun, vintage American music
– including forgotten fiddle tunes, swing classics
and quirky novelty songs. Cajun trio GumboJet
with David Greely will make you kick up your
heels with their authentic acoustic Louisiana
sound. Anna & Elizabeth feature a cranky show.
A “cranky” is a homemade wooden box with a
hand crank that displays a scroll of illustrations.
As an old mountain ballad is sung, the performer
turns the crank, and the hand-stitched (or handdrawn) scenes match the lyrics. These are just a
few of the great acts you’ll hear!
But the stage bands are not the whole story.
Camp Ben’s grounds are lovely, with plenty of
big old shade trees, a gurgling creek and plenty
of room for camping and jamming. Some of the
best music is off-stage in sessions lasting till the
wee hours. The admission price gets you access
to a variety of workshops such as banjo, fiddle,
singing and dancing. There is also a playground
for the youngsters. Delicious local and organic
food is available on site or you can go across the
street and eat at the Salt Lick.
Admission fees are a reasonable $40 for weekend general admission with discounts for partial
weekends, students and Austin Friends of Traditional Music members. Youth 16 and under get
in free!
The festival is hosted by Austin Friends of Traditional Music, a non-profit organization promoting traditional music and dance. To see a video
with samples of last year’s festival and find out
more, go to www.aftm.us -Tim Wooten, AFTM
October 19-21, 2012
7th Annual Austin String Band Festival
Concerts, Camping,
Jamming, Dancing,
Workshops, Good Eats
The Canote Brothers
GumboJet
Anna & Elizabeth
Bayou Seco
East Mountain Serenaders
Hem and Haw
Sawmill Vagrants
… and more!
b
Camp Ben McCulloch, Driftwood, TX
for more info, check out: www.aftm.us
Meet a CTBA Member:
Jacob Roberts
Introduce yourself. Tell us your name, a little bit about yourself, what city you live in,
and why you joined CTBA.
My name is Jacob Roberts. I just recently
moved here from Lubbock after graduating
from Texas Tech. I live in Austin, where I work
as a mechanical engineer. I started listening
to bluegrass when I was about 13. I think
the albums that got me hooked were Flatt &
Scruggs Live at Carnegie Hall, Ralph Stanley Hills of Home, and Jim Mills - Bound to Ride. I
mostly grew up in the Houston area and went
to a lot of the Bluegrass shows around there.
I joined CTBA to help support and preserve
Bluegrass music in the area. I’ve been to many
of the CTBA jams and found that it’s a great way to meet and learn from other pickers.
Do you play an instrument?
Yes, I play guitar and bass.
What bluegrass artists do you like to listen to most?
Recently, it’s been Larry Sparks, Dwight McCall, and J.D. Crowe and the New South. There are
so many though.
What’s your all time favorite bluegrass song?
If I have to pick one, it’s probably “The Old Home Town”. It’s got really good Bluegrass fiddle in
it. I’ve heard it was Lester Flatt’s favorite of the tunes he’d written.
Jacob is also on the ballot for the 2013 CTBA Board Member elections, as well as his brother Adam.
Visit Llano
Allen Hurt
www.promotellano.org
The Mountain Showmen
Ann Matlack
P.O. Box 711
Llano, TX 78643
&
Mountain Valley Records Inc.
P.O. Box 3074
Sherman, TX 75091
(512) 635-0498
(469) 236-4190
How About Some FREE Bluegrass Music???
You heard that right! FREE bluegrass music and chili
cook-off weekend kicks off in the Farmers Branch
Texas Historical Park - come be a part of the fun!
The music on stage begins at 5pm on Friday night,
Oct. 19, and will last until 10pm. We will light up the
stage again at noon on Saturday, Oct. 20 and keep
it going until 10pm. The chili cook-off competition
starts early Saturday morning, and the winners will
be announced from stage on Saturday afternoon.
The schedule of entertainment and events is posted
online at BloominBluegrass.com. There’s plenty of free parking very close to the park, and the
popular hayride shuttles will be running as always!
Remember that the festival is free with no tickets required! A chili tasting cup costs only $3 - and
you can sample chili until it runs out! The City will contribute 100% of the chili cup proceeds to the Bluegrass
Heritage Foundation’s Play It Forward! Instrument
Lending Program and the Friends of the Farmers
Branch Historical Park - so ALL chili cup money will
support great causes! Gates open at 10:30am on Saturday, and the chili will be ready for tasting by 11:00am.
Come hungry!
If you love to shop, you are going to have a great time!
Bloomin’ Bluegrass 2012 will feature several new vendors and an arts & crafts plaza. If you’d like to
offer your arts & crafts items for sale, we have room for you. Vendor spaces are still available. And
the Foundation will have great new products - including baseball-style t-shirts, caps, and a limited
number of original Hatch Show Print posters designed just for our festival!
a
a
w w w. a f t m . u s
[email protected]
Our host hotel is the Night Hotel by Wyndham (formerly
Holiday Inn Select). The hotel is offering a festival rate of
$74/night which includes free breakfast and shuttle. You
must CALL 972-243-3363 to make reservations - the host
hotel is nearly sold out. No online reservations.
You don’t have to bring a lawn chair! Chair rentals will be
available from the Friends of the Historical Park for only $2/
day. Rent from the Friends and support the Park!
Our scheduled musical guests for 2012 include Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, the Travelin’ McCourys with Peter Rowan, Blue Highway, the Gibson Brothers, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Kenny & Amanda Smith Band, the Toy Hearts, Gold Heart, Sgt. Pepper’s
Lonely Bluegrass Band, Alan Tompkins, and more.
More details are available on the festival page of the Foundation website. Get ready for more great
bluegrass music fun in the Farmers Branch Historical Park!
nc.
Caabin10, In
RiceGrass
Thee Rice Festiva
F
al
& RiceG
Grass
Supporting Higher Education
E
in the Arts
(830) 739.6986
www.cabin
7
n10.com
Artist Profile: Air Cargo
When Ray Cargo and
I got a chance to play
together at a wedding
gig over in Comfort, TX
in September I figured I
could give him a ride and
as an extra bonus I could
interview him on the
way up there. We talked
a lot about his band, Air
Cargo. Oh. I cut out the
parts where we pointed at places we had played along the way. It was a nice drive with lots of laughing along the
way. We had a good gig and I learned a few things about my old friend during this interview. I hope you enjoy it
as much as I enjoyed doing it. My questions are in bold italics. -Tom Duplissey
You’re originally from Amarillo?
Yes, for 29 years.
Your Dad played country and you played together, isn’t that right?
When my Dad first started out in music, he was doing Elvis things. When he got drafted and went
into the Army he had a buddy that had a D18 Martin and played bluegrass. That’s when he became
aware of that kind of music. Dad bought me a Danelectro bass guitar at age eight. He showed me
the chords to a Buck Owens tune and away we went. We played country music. When I graduated
from high school I wanted to do other things and Dad could see he was losing his picking buddy.
That’s when he joined the bluegrass world. Then I got lonesome for picking with him and I joined
the bluegrass world too.
Y’all went to a lot of festivals up in Oklahoma didn’t you?
Yes, we went over there many times. But the best festival was the Hugo festival. It was the place to
be. In seventy-four there was twenty-two thousand people there. We jammed till day break for five
days in a row. Then we had our own festival for about 10 years.
What organization was that?
I was on the Board for the Pan Handle Bluegrass and Old Tyme Music Association. I was the public
relations guy.
Do they still exist?
Yes they do and I’m still a member. It was pretty cool
last summer when I went to Mobeetie to play with Max
Zimmet it had been 30 years since I had played on that
stage…almost 30 years to the day. And it’s still there
just like me and Dad built it...same color and everything…the only difference is all the trees that we planted around it had grown up…which made it really nice
(laughter). Back then it was hotter than hell because it
was in the sun (laughter). That was a good thing to get
a chance to do again. But back then when I got laid off
from my career job I decided I had to go somewhere else.
You said something to me once about you and your Dad going down to South Plains College
and…
I didn’t go with him down there but he went down there a lot. That was after I moved down here to
Austin. When I would go back up there for the jamborees that’s when Alan (Munde) would come up
to some of those functions to play with us. Alan knew both of my parents very well.
What year did you get to Austin?
I moved here in 1988. It was Super Bowl Sunday. I came down here looking for work but the other
thing was the music culture that this place had developed.
Were there any other musicians that you played with up there that came down this way?
Not really. When I first got to Austin I started out by seeing the bluegrass postings in the paper and
the Chronicle. That’s when I first went down to…uh…
Captain Tom’s?
Yes. That’s when I met Dave (Seeman) and all those guys. I met five banjo players the first day I went
down there.
So Dave, probably Lyndal Cannon, maybe Doc (Wayne Ross), who else?
There were a couple of guys that I met that I haven’t seen since. They weren’t regulars I guess. The
two guys I was hanging out with were Dave Seeman and Lyle Gudrith (sic) were both banjo players
so I got an inside seat to the banjo circle. Lyle was involved with CTBA quite a bit. In fact he talked
me into doing some covers for the newsletter back when they had that Zilker Park hillside theater
shows. That was when I first got here.
So did you start playing with those guys then?
I went to the jams on occasion but in the 90’s I hung out at Lakes Austin and Travis on my boat. I had
a girlfriend that liked the water so we went all the time. I’m glad I did that because I got that out of
the way and now I can play music.
Yes, my diversion was coaching Jesse in Little League and I laid down my guitar for a while. You
played with some bands after the 90’s?
I guess what brought me into the performing sector here in Austin is when the Siekers asked me to
play with them. When I started playing with them everybody started realizing who I was and that
led to bigger and better things.
Yes, that you could play in key, keep time and all that good stuff.
Well, I don’t know about that (laughter). I’m not really as good as people think I am (laughter).
You got us all snookered. Isn’t that what music is all about…a little bit of magic, a little luck, and
a little skill.
Exactly. I like it when you start out on a song and start singing and chill bumps start blowing up on
your arms and legs…that’s when you know it’s right.
You’ve written several songs yourself that are really good. You play several with your current
band Air Cargo.
Oh yea. I think we play three or four originals of mine. I have another five or six lined up for the guys
to learn. We’re probably going to take those and several of Kevin’s (Willette) and take the percentage of originals in our show a little higher for RiceGrass next year.
Kevin has put out at least three CDs of originals and covers.
Yes, he’s working on another one too that will be an instrumental CD.
Have you thought about putting your stuff onto a platter?
Of course, but with the internet, what’s the use? (laughter). We talked about making a CD but
then we just thought we’d put it on the
internet and just let everybody have it
for free. That way we don’t have to carry around CDs, divide up the money, or
worry about copywriting, taxes, and selling things.
Let’s talk about some other bands you
have been in. You played with the Siekers in what year?
2003 and 2004. I played with them for
about a year and a half. Alex (Rueb) was
also in that band with Rolf & Beate. After that I was sitting in quite a bit with
The Grassy Knoll Boys because their bass
player was kind of busy doing multiple
projects so there were times he had to
miss so they had to have someone they
could call on. Alex was in that band too. David Hamburger. I enjoyed playing with those guys a lot.
That was really fun. There again I played with Alex some more. About the same time I started playing with the Siekers I got together with Dave Seeman and Mike Landscoot and we started the band
512. We haven’t played recently but I would if he would call (laughter). Now that Steven (Crow) has
moved into town I’m not needed quite as much as I was in the past.
When did you join The Grass Onions?
I don’t know. Was it 2006? I guess. I had become a jam person at that point. You couldn’t miss me
at Artz every Sunday for a couple of years there. That’s when you invited me to come play with the
Onions and I said, “Sure! Sign me up!”
That was a great run. All those guys are great musicians. So much fun.
Yes, a lot of fun. I learned a lot from that experience. I also had people ask me where I found all the
songs we played and I would just tell them that I listen to different genre of music than most people
do and that’s where they come from. My friends turn me on to them, others I just stumble upon.
The greatest honor as a songwriter is for someone else to pick up and play your material. It’s the
ultimate compliment. At least that’s what I’m told (laughter).
I enjoy singing songs that my friends wrote. I don’t know much about the music business. I just decided a long time ago that I want to have as much fun as I can with this as a hobby and that’s about
all I’m trying to get accomplished.
When did the idea of “Air Cargo” come to you?
After you left the Grass Onions Randy (Collier) started playing with us then the two Jon’s (Jon Kemppainen and Jon Ricketts) decided they wanted to go in different directions so those of us that were
left over became Air Cargo which was me, Randy and Kevin. I didn’t really try to start the band just
to be my band but it ended up that way because that’s what they wanted. When we first started
playing Randy (Kirchhoff ) down at Threadgill’s was booking and he was pressing me for a name.
We had talked about it but we had never decided on anything so I just told him Air Cargo, mainly
because I already had a marketing scheme for that name so…. So we used that for the first gig and
later I asked the guys what name they wanted to use and they said to stick with it. So, after 20 years
I’ve finally gotten to the point where I wanted to be. I play with some great musicians and we can
create that sound over and over again. Now we have a couple of festivals that are inviting us to play.
That’s where I was trying to get to. I wanted to get a little regional respect and to get to play at some
of these venues without having to pay at the gate! (laughter)
You’ve created a very unique brand too. How did you come up with the Air Cargo logo?
When I was living in Amarillo in the mid-80’s, when my bluegrass group split up, and I had a great
desire to play. I had gotten laid off from my job so I was trying to generate income so I put together
the same sort of thing that Tinbuk 3 had. They used a plain jam box to record all their background
music and they performed with it. So I did the same thing but I didn’t use a jam box. I went ahead
and used my PA setup. I bought a four-track cassette recorder and created all the backups, all the
harmonies, the bass work, and then I would sing live with it and play lead guitar with it. One of my
longtime friends came to see me and he said “you’ve got an air band going here”. (laughter) So after we thought of that for a few seconds, that’s when Air Cargo came to mind. So I had an air band
and my name is Ray Cargo so we just called it Air Cargo. Now Randy and Kevin have replaced the
“Air” (laughing)…like Randy says that his doctor told him, “is that E-R-R Cargo?” (laughing) Err Cargo.
We’re having a lot of fun with it. There are a lot of things we can do with that symbol of a plane. I’ve
got a ton of ideas of things that can be done with that thing. How to create situations with it….
Well, anytime you can create a name and then come up with a “brand”…I guess that’s what I was
asking. How did you develop the brand? What tools did you use to create it?
I first did it with pencil and marks-a-lot. Are you talking about the new one?
Yes, the one on your web site and business cards.
I did the new one on my CAD system. It’s a 3D model. I can get a lot of different images from that.
There’s a rendering package included in it that can make it look real. I mean real!
People waving out the window and everything huh?
If you want that (laughing), but I like one that I have now because its outlined in black and it looks
more like a cartoon. So I want to keep it that way.
The Rolling Stones have their “tongue”.
That’s one of the greatest band symbols in the world.
Instantly recognizable. There’s lot to be said in the music business about branding and the development of your brand. What you have is an easily recognizable symbol for the band.
Thank you very much. Being an artist more than being a musician, well, I just like doing stuff like
that. That’s my thing.
Did you always do a lot of drawings and painting?
Yes I did. When I went to college I was studying to become a commercial artist. That’s the direction I was
going. Fate led me to a wife and family so I didn’t get
to finish school. So, I went back to work relying on my
trade of being a machinist. But I did artwork all the
time up until the last 10 years. I haven’t done much in the last 10 years. Prior to that, I was always
doing something. When I was a teenager, right before I started driving, to make money to fix up
my car, I painted signs. My Dad would give me a ride over there with all my paints and I would do
some sign work and then he would come get me.
That’s a lost art now isn’t it?
Totally. It doesn’t exist anymore. Well, I’m sure it does but not like before.
That’s so sad too because there were so many great signpainters back then. My wife’s uncle was
a signpainter. He made a living doing it for a while.
What inspired me as a child, in grade
school, there was a fellow that lived
down the street, he was a widower and
that’s what he did. He painted signs for
Furr’s Supermarket. I would go down
there and watch him. He’d be painting
stuff and I’d be watching and that inspired me to do that.
So that’s where the inspiration came
from. Cool. Where did you go to college?
I went to Amarillo Jr College for two
years and I went one year to West Texas
State University, south of Amarillo about
20 miles. It’s now an extension of A&M.
They were the Buffalos. They had a marble statue of a buffalo out in front of the stadium that was white. The opposing teams would always
come up and paint that thing their colors and ticked everybody off (laughing), they had to sandblast it again.
When did you and Carla meet?
Me and Carla have known each other most of our lives. We didn’t date in school but she always sat
close to me, I guess because of our last names were so close. We became friends. After school she
got married and moved to Colorado. I went to all my class reunions, we had them at five year increments for a long time, living there in Amarillo I always went to them. She would come to some of
them and we would get to visit. She was happily married. One day she called me out of the blue
and said, “What are you doing?” and I said, “Nothing”. I invited her to come over to see me and she
never left (laughter).
She’s a neat lady. How long have y’all been together?
10 years.
Very cool.
Yes it is.
You are playing an electric bass. What is the make and model?
It’s made by Ned Steinberger. The model is Wav 4. It’s the Chinese version instead of the Czech Republic version. They are about $2,000. The one I wanted cost $3,700.
You still have an old Kay bass. You play mostly on the Steinberger?
I do. And yes, I still have my acoustic. I amplify both of them. Because of the amplification they
both sound pretty close to the same. You would think that the acoustic would be different but
when you run it through a pickup it sounds electric…sort of. I like playing the Steinberger because
the old acoustic wore out my hands, my wrist, and after playing it for 30 years it was just getting too
hard on me. When I would get done with a festival or something I would be whooped.
A lot of electric basses have a longer sustain but yours doesn’t seem to have that problem. How
do you get that sound?
Yes I know that too and I know that’s not the sound you want in the bluegrass world and I agree. I
don’t like the electric sustain either. So I learned how to mute it by the way I play it.
Magic?
Yep, back to the fooling thing again (laughing). Actually, I play different than most players do. Most
bass players pluck the strings with their index finger and their middle finger. I pull the string with
my first three fingers, minus the pinky. The way I pull the string is a softer, more mellow, tone. I’ve
enjoyed taking that thing to festivals, parties, and jam sessions. It’s usually a pretty good conversation piece (laughing).
You play it well too. What advice do you give to people that are just starting to play bass?
Well, I don’t consider myself to be a teacher. I haven’t done it very much. What helped me get started was that I just learned music one song at a time. My Dad did that for me. He taught me how to
play one song, showed me where the notes were, and we played that one song until I had it down
and could remember it. Then we would work up a second song. I generally tell people the same
thing. Take a song that you like, that’s good to you, that you feel good about, and learn to play that
song from start to finish without stopping or starting over. Once you’ve got that one song down,
then you can work up another song. Then just keep going. As the years go by you end up with a
pretty good size repertoire.
One of the things I remember you saying a long time ago was that you would make a CD of the
songs you were trying to learn and pop them in your player on the way to work or to the store. I
recall you saying once that you would create a “top five” tunes that you were learning. I’ve taken
that to heart and move songs into my “Top Five Learning” playlist in iTunes. Do you still keep a
top five?
Yes I tend to concentrate on a few at a time.That’s how I rehearse. I record the sound files on CD and
listen to it constantly until it’s time to perform. That gets the melodies in my head...and the harmonies...and bass licks. Write a chart and away we go.
So what do you see in your crystal ball except turning it over and seeing “NO”?
(Laughing) Yes, don’t do it! I don’t have specific goals other than trying to get as much enjoyment
out of it as I can.
It sounds like you’re doing just that.
Yes we are. I’m having a wonderful time playing with Randy and Kevin. It’s really nice to go to a
venue and you are going to perform and you know how it’s going to come out. I have a lot of respect for spontaneity, don’t get me wrong, but that’s where the band comes in. A band gives you
that “repeatability”. I went so many years jamming with so many people that it was almost like a
mosh pit. You never know how it’s going to come out and most of the time you’re disappointed
(laughing). That’s what I like about being in a band.
I’m glad to see Randy performing again. He was in the band Red Eye with Kevin and that was the
last time a lot of people got to hear him. It’s good to see him in a band because he is so good and
so talented.
He is. The guys on both sides of me are two of Austin’s finest. There’s a lot of fine people in Austin
and they are two of them (laughing).
Well said Yogi. Hey, thanks for doing this Ray.
Thank you Tommy.
Folks, you can go hear Air Cargo at Threadgill’s Old Number One on North Lamar and Mesa Ranch. I can’t believe
that I completely forgot to ask Ray about his upcoming gigs with the Toy Hearts from England. Ray will also be
performing with the Toy Hearts at the Blooming Bluegrass Festival in Farmer’s Branch this month and has about
seven other gigs with them. Look for the Toy Hearts Austin dates. You can find Air Cargo’s schedule along with the
dates Ray will play with the Toy Hearts at http://aircargomusic.com/ - Tom Duplissey
Listing of Newsletter “Artist Profiles”, “Meet A
Member”, & “Scholarship Recipients”
2010
Meet a Member
March
April
May
Thomas Chapmond
June Stacy Holt
July Barbara & David Brown
August
Eddie & Pat Zihlman
September
Ray Cargo
October
Al James
November
Tracy Sloan
December
Rixi Rosenberg
2011
January
Keith Davis
February
Gloria Brashaw
March
Jeff White
April
Bruce Mansbridge & Elaine Kant
May
Jerry & Carol Rabun
June
Doug & Sheryl Sultenfuss July
Bryce Koslan
August
Chuck Middleton
September
Alan Corlew
October
Tom Duplissey
November
Jay Blincoe
December
The Schuttger Family
2012
January
Mike Moore
February
Duane Calvin
March
Bob Bourgeois
April
Mike Stroup
May
Coleman Stephens
June
George Rios
July
Mary Conn
August
Jim Shaffer
September
Stephen Mangold
October
Jacob Roberts
Artist Profile
Danny Barnes
Dan Huckabee
The Carper Family
The Lost Pines
Jeff Robertson
Gerald Jones
Chasing Blue
Jim Hurst
The Upham Family
Chris Hirsch
David Hamburger
Billy Bright
MilkDrive
Sierra Hull
Tom Ellis
Dennis McDaniel
Rolf & Beate Sieker
Doc Hamilton
Steve Smith
Phil Elliott
James Shelton
Eddie Collins
The Lost Pines
Piney Grove Ramblers
Karen Abrahams
Christy & The Plowboys
Earl Scruggs Memorial
In Memory of Doug Dillard
Elliott & Janice Rogers
Austin Steamers
Geoff Union
Air Cargo
Scholarship Recipients 2004 - Finn Lynch, 2005 - Christopher Quinters, 2006 - Amy Bell, 2007 Riley Mathews, Jill Corley, Tyler Colley and Erika Richardson, 2009 - Bethany Rankin and Brett Hawthorne , 2010 - Adam Greer, John Peyton “JP” Shafer, and Devin Paynkewicz, 2011 - Josh, Aaron and
Micah Upham & Susannah Armstrong , 2012 - Mandy Greer, Sam Armstrong
CTBA Bluegrass Bands
The 145s
David Diers
www.the145smusic.com
512-814-5145
512
Dave Seeman
([email protected])
(512) 557-2939
Air Cargo
Ray Cargo
[email protected]
Alan Munde Gazette
Bill Honker
(214) 693-1620
[email protected]
Blue Skyz Band
Mike Lester
(210) 913-9597
www.blueskyzband.com
Bluebonnet Pickers
Brooks Blake
(830) 798-1087
BuffaloGrass
Don Inbody
(512) 295-6977
[email protected]
Carper Family Band
Jenn Miori
[email protected]
Chasing Blue
(512) 963-7515
[email protected]
Allen Hurt & The Mountain Showmen
Christy & the Plowboys
Allen Hurt (Sherman, TX)
(469) 236-4190
www.allenhurt.com
Christy Foster
(512) 452-6071
[email protected]
Austin Steamers
David & Barbara Brown
Joe Sundell
(501)416-4640
www.theaustinsteamers.com
361-985-9902 (Corpus Christi)
[email protected]
Bee Creek Boys
Wil Wilson
[email protected]
Jim Umbarger
(512) 922-5786
[email protected]
Better Late Than Never
Duane Calvin
(512) 835-0342
Blacktop Bend
George Rios
(512) 619-8536
[email protected]
Blue Creek String Band
Thomas Chapmond
[email protected]
(512) 791-3411
Dueling Hearts
Eddie Collins
(512) 873-7803
www.eddiecollins.biz
[email protected]
Flatlander Folk
Jay Littleton
(512) 850-4362
[email protected]
Four Fights Per Pint
Diana & Dan Ost
512-848-1634
[email protected]
Grazmatics
Wayne Ross
512-330-2188
[email protected]
Hem & Haw
Rod Moag and Texas Grass
Rod Moag
(512) 467-6825
[email protected]
The Sieker Band
Ben Hodges & Jenn Miori
[email protected]
Rolf & Beate Sieker
(512) 733-2857
www.siekerband.com
Karen Abrahams
Shawn Spiars
Babyhead Promotions
(512) 659-5256
www.karenabrahams.com
The Lost Pines
Talia Bryce (512) 814-5134
[email protected]
www.lostpinesband.com
Manchaca All-Stars
Ben Buchanan
(512) 282-2756
manchacaallstars@ email.com
Out of the Blue
Jamie Stubblefield
(512) 923-4288
[email protected]
Piney Grove Ramblers
Wayne Brooks
(512) 699-8282
www.pgramblers.com
Ragged Union
Geoff Union
(512) 563-9821
[email protected]
Randy’s Rangers
Sigi Field (512) 869-8076
www.jrfnet.net/rr
[email protected]
Robertson County Line
Jeff Robertson
(512) 629-5742
[email protected]
(512 627-3921
www.banjohangout.org/my/sspiars
[email protected]
String Beans
Mike Montgomery
[email protected]
Joe Sundell & the Show & Tellers
Rebecca Patek
262-617-4152
ww.joesundellandtheshowandtellers.com/
Third Rail
Susannah Armstrong
936 870 7819
[email protected]
Steelhead String Band
Sharon Sandomirsky
[email protected]
(512) 619-8705
Upham Family Band
Tracie Upham
[email protected]
The Wimberley Bunch
Marilyn Lumia
(512) 557-2112
gus@ vownet.net
Wires and Wood
David Dyer
(210) 680-1889
[email protected]
Woodstreet Bloodhounds
Robert Becker (Oak Park, IL)
708-714-7206
[email protected]
BLUEGRASS JAMS!!!
AUSTIN
Bluegrass Beginner/Intermediate JAM (CTBA Sponsored)
3418 North Lamar; 2nd & 4th Saturdays; slow jam, 2pm to 4pm; intermediate jam 4pm to 6 pm.
Also 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7pm at Bruce Mansbridge
Call Steve Mangold (512) 345-6155 for info on all Austin jams
Scholtz’s Garden every Sunday afternoon until ?
BELLVILLE
Jam & Show (Spring Creek Club Sponsored)
Jan. thru Sept 4th Sat; 4pm JAM, 6:30 pm SHOW, Coushatte RV
Ranch
(979) 865-5250 [email protected] www.springcreekbluegrass.com
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION
Monday’s 6-9PM, JJ. Cody’s, 3610 S. College
www.brazoscountrygrass.com
FAYETTEVILLE
2nd Sat, April—November, starts at 6 PM, on the Courthouse Square
[email protected] www.texaspickinpark.com
FIELD CREEK
1st Sat each mo, Field Creek Music - 6: PM Field Creek is between Llano and Brady on Hwy 71, Info call Bill Tuckness 325 247 3223
GEORGETOWN
every Thursday at Duke’s BBQ, 5:30 to 7:30pm,
512-869-8076 or [email protected] (www.jrfnet.net/rr)
5:30 PM The Badu House
Bluegrass Beginner/Intermediate 1st & 3rd Tue.
7:00 PM First Presbyterian Church
Contact: Jeff White (325) 248-4114
MANCHACA
Manchaca Railroad Bar-B-Q, FM 1626, Every Thursday 6:30-9:00PM
Contact: Dave (512) 680-4433
MEDINA
2nd Tuesday - Each Month, All Gospel Jam 6: PM,
first Baptist Church - Medina, Tx, Call Linda Barton for info, 830 589
2486
PEARL
JAM & SHOW,
1st Sat: Jam all day
Contact: Ronald Medart (254) 865-6013 www.pearlbluegrass.com
ROUND ROCK
Danny Ray’s Music, 12 Chisholm Trail, RR, Third Saturday 2:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO
1st, 3rd, usually 5th Tuesday. 6:30 - 8:30, Grady’s BBQ on Nakoma @
281. Contact: Sheryl - ssultenfuss(at)gmail.com
SHULENBURG
RV Park Clubhouse 1st & 3rd Tuesday, 6:30-9:00PM
Contact: Loretta Baumgarten (979) 743-4388 [email protected]
WIMBERLEY
Fri 8-12 PM, Rolling House Clubhouse
Contact: Mike Bond
GARLAND
Saturday, March- Nov, 7:30PM between Main & State St at 6th,
GLEN ROSE
every 3rd Sat. at Oakdale Park in Glen Rose
HARWOOD
JAM & Stage Show (Pot Luck too!)
3rd Sat, 2-9 PM, 9 mi. E. of Luling, Hwy 90
Contact: Tony Conyers (512) 601-1510 or (512) 940-3731
HONDO
1st Friday each mo., Hondo Hootenanny, starts at 11 AM- Hondo Community Center, 1014 18th st, Hondo, Tx Info 830 426 2831
Multi-Educational
Cross Cultural
Arts Association
LEAGUE CITY
Jam & Show
3rd Sat: Jam 5 PM (BABA Sponsored) Show 6:30 PM Jan- Nov.
Contact: Rick Kirkland (President) (281) 488-2244
MECCA is a 501c(3) nonprofit educational organization that teaches music &
dance to adults and children. We provide ethnic/cultural/patriotic music and
dance groups for civic, schools, churches, and club programs events.
LLANO
Bluegrass All Levels JAM 4th Sat (except Nov. & Dec.):
Phone: 254-526-9464
e-mail: [email protected]
YouTube channel: mecatx
Teaching the Children of the World to Dance,
Sing and Play Musical Instruments
Membership and Advertising Rates
CTBA’s Volume 2
$10.00
(includes shipping costs to anywhere in the United States)
http://www.centraltexasbluegrass.org/merchandise.html
Central Texas Bluegrass has T-shirts in a new color. They are
100% pre-shrunk cotton, high quality shirts with CTBA’s logo
on the front. Available in Black and White. Sizes are S, M, L, XL,
and XXL. Only $15.00
Take $5.00 off the advertising rates if you are already ad business member. Copy deadline is the 15th of the month. Publication
is on or about the 1st day of the each month. Send electronic notices to: [email protected] Send payment to:
Central Texas Bluegrass Association
Attention: Editor
PO BOX 9816
Austin, TX 78766
Advertisers assume liability for all content of advertisements and from
any claims arising there from. We reserve the right to reject advertising
for reasons of space availability or publication standards.
If you would like CTBA to review CD’s or would like us to include promo material for artists performing in Texas, please send to our email at
[email protected] or snail mail to the PO Box listed above. Ad Size
FULL PAGE
1/2 PAGE
1/4 PAGE
1/8 PAGE
Price
$30.00
$15.00
$12.50
$10.00
Please Join CTBA: http://www.centraltexasbluegrass.org/join.html
Central Texas Bluegrass Association Bluegrass Newsletter
is published by the Central Texas Bluegrass Association,
a 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Texas Non-profit Corporation.
Contributions are deductible as charitable and educational donations. Work published in this Bulletin is used by
permission of the writers, artists, and photographers, who
retain all copyrights. Tom Duplissey, Editor
THE CENTRAL TEXAS BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATION IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO PROMOTE
BLUEGRASS MUSIC IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
Board Members:
Sam Dunn, President
Eddie Collins, Vice President
Gloria Brayshaw, Secretary
Duane Calvin, Treasurer
Rixi Rosenberg, Coleman Stephens,
Chuck Middleton , Tracie Upham, Joshua Upham
Past President - Jami Hampton
CTBA provides a link between clubs, restaurants, and other
venues and Central Texas Bluegrass musicians.
Our members range from listeners and lovers of bluegrass
music to world-class professional musicians who all have the
same desire: to promote the music.
CTBA sponsors jams, workshops, provides scholarships to
needy musicians, donates to other non-profit organizations,
supports radio stations that promote bluegrass music & musicians, and provide festival venues for our listeners and fans of
bluegrass music to enjoy. KEEP ON PICKIN’
Support Texas music and get an “Enjoy Texas Music” license plate!
Funds received through your purchase of the “Enjoy Texas Music” license plate
will help make grants to benefit music-related educational and community programs sponsored by Texas non-profit organizations (like CTBA!!!).
Randall’s Good Neighbor Program
The process to get this started is a bit of a pain, but it makes donating to CTBA, your local schools, or
your favorite non-profit organizations very, very easy. Just go to the link below, print the form and fill it
out, enter CTBA’s code 9735, and take to your local Randall’s store:
http://shop.safeway.com/corporate/randalls/gn_houston_austin.pdf
Central Texas Bluegrass Association
P.O. Box 9816
Austin, Texas 78766
[email protected]
Phone: (512) 415-3177

Texas Bluegrass - Central Texas Bluegrass Association

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